Rot resistant door

ABSTRACT

The present application is directed to doors and door systems that are made from rot and/or swell resistant components. In one exemplary embodiment, every component of the door or door system is rot and/or swell resistant. In one exemplary embodiment, the door or door system remains rot and/or swell resistant after all hardware of the door or door system is installed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/940,198, filed on May 25, 2007, titled “Rot Resistant Door.” U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/940,198 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate a section of a door 100 that includes a plastic end cap 102. The door 100 also includes first and second skins 104, 106, wooden frame members 108, 110, and a core material 112. Referring to FIG. 1B, hinges 114 are attached to the door 100 by screws 116. The screws 116 extend through the plastic end cap 102 and into the wooden frame member 108. Referring to FIG. 1C, the screws 116 form a leak path 118 that allows moisture 120 to pass through the end cap 102 and into the wooden frame members 108, 110. The absorption of the moisture into the wood frame members 108, 110 causes the wood frame members to swell and cause the door skins 104, 106 to bulge out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a sectional view of a portion of door that includes a wood frame component with a plastic cap;

FIG. 1B illustrates the portion of the door shown in FIG. 1A with a hinge screw that extends through the plastic cap and into the wood frame component;

FIG. 1C illustrates infiltration of moisture through an opening created by the hinge screw into the wood frame component;

FIG. 2 illustrates a first wood member with a treated portion that extends only partially into the first wood member and a second wood member that is treated completely through the wood member;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a wood treatment process;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a door with a section cut away to illustrate a bottom rail, a stile, and a filler material of the door;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along lines 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines the plane indicated by lines 6-6 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a door;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a door;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a door;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a section of a door;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by reference 11-11 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view that is similar to the view of FIG. 11 showing cutouts for door hardware;

FIG. 13 is a view of a door system;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by lines 14-14 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by lines 15-15 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a view of a door system that includes a side lite;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by lines 18-18 in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by lines 19-19 in FIG. 17; and

FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by lines 20-20 in FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application discloses doors 200 (see FIGS. 4-12) and door systems 202 that include a door 200 installed in a door opening frame 204 (see FIGS. 13-20) that are made from rot and swell resistant components. In an exemplary embodiment, every component of the door 200 is rot and swell resistant and remains rot and swell resistant after hinge screws 206 (See FIG. 16) are driven into the door 200 and the door is machined or cut to accept hardware, such as a door knob and lock set (not shown) or a multi-point lock (See FIGS. 7 and 12).

Referring to FIG. 2, retaining the rot and swell resistance after installing hinges or machining for attachment of hardware can be accomplished by making the door components from a material that is rot and swell resistant through the entire thickness of the component. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates two door or door system components 220, 222. The door or door system component 220 includes a rot and swell resistant layer 224 that surrounds an inner portion 226 that is not rot and swell resistant. When the door or door system component 220 is machined or screws are installed, a path 228 is created that allows moisture 230 and/or insects to reach the inner portion 226 and potentially cause swelling and/or rot of the door or door system component 220. The door or door system component 222 is rot and swell resistant entirely through the door component as indicated by section lines 240. As such, when the door or door system component 222 is machined or a screw is driven into the component, no area that is susceptible to rot or swell is exposed. In an exemplary embodiment, an entire length of the door or door system component 222 is rot and swell resistant through the entire door or door system component.

The door or door system components 222 can be made from a wide variety of materials that are rot and swell resistant In an exemplary embodiment, the door or door system components 222 have properties that allow the door or door system components 222 to be machined in the same manner as wood. In an exemplary embodiment, the door or door system components 222 may be made from a wood based material that is rot and swell resistant entirely through the door component. Examples of wood based materials that are rot and swell resistant entirely through the material include, but are not limited to, wood substrates that are treated entirely through with an insect and moisture protectant and composites formed by combining wood and one or more plastic materials, such as thermoplastic materials.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a wood substrate 300 that is treated entirely through with an insect and moisture protectant 301 to form a rot and swell resistant substrate 302. The wood 300 that is used can be any type of wood. For example, the wood 300 can be milled pine. The insect and moisture protectant 301 may comprise organic biocides 304 and a hydrophobic agent 306, such as paraffin, that are impregnated into the wood 300. In one embodiment, the organic biocides and the hydrophobic agent are impregnated into the wood substrate at a cellular level. The resulting substrate 302 is dimensionally stable, resistant to rot, mold, water absorption, and insects. An example of a substrate 302 that is treated entirely through with organic biocides and a hydrophobic agent is Wolmanized L3 Outdoor Wood available from dealers of Arch Treatment Technologies, Inc. Wolmanized L3 Outdoor Wood products include tebuconazole, propiconazole, and imidacloprid, an insecticide.

A wide variety of composites made from wood and plastic can be used as a door component 222. For example, wood flour (very fine particles of wood) from any variety of tree or combinations of trees that may be from hardwood and/or softwood trees can be combined with any type of thermoplastic, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc. Composites made from wood flour and plastics are available from multiple suppliers, including CertainTeed and Trex. One acceptable composite that may be used is a polyethylene and wood flour composite produced by AERT.

FIGS. 4-9 illustrate examples of doors 200. The illustrated doors 200 each include a frame 400 and first and second door skins 402, 404 attached to the frame. The door skins 402, 404 may take a wide variety of different forms, including but not limited to fiberglass reinforced plastic molded doors. For example, the door skins 402, 404 may be made in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,343, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In an exemplary embodiment, the entire lengths of all of the components of the frame 400 are resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the frame components. The frame 400 may take a wide variety of different forms. Referring to FIG. 6, the frame 400 includes a hinge side stile 410, a lock side stile 412, a top rail 414, and a bottom rail 416. In one embodiment, the stiles 410, 412 are treated entirely through with an insect and moisture protectant as described above and the top and bottom rails 414, 416 are formed from a wood flour and plastic composite as described above. However, any type or combination of types of materials that are rot resistant through the entire component can be used to form the stiles 410, 412 and the top and bottom rails 414, 416. For example, none, one or more of the top and bottom rails 414, 416 and the stiles 410, 412 can be treated entirely through with an insect and moisture protectant, with the remaining stiles and rails (if any) formed from a wood flour and plastic composite.

In an exemplary embodiment, the door skins 402, 404 are attached to opposite sides of the frame 400 with glue. A wide variety of different glues can be used. In one embodiment, a water proof glue is used. One example of an acceptable glue is a polyurethane adhesive, commonly referred to as PUR adhesives. In an exemplary embodiment, the PUR glue is activated by exposure to moisture, such as by exposure to humid air. One acceptable PUR glue is part number NP2075T available from H.B. Fuller Co.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, in one embodiment a core 420 is disposed within the frame 400 between the door skins 402, 404. The core 420 is optional. In an exemplary embodiment, the core is made from a material that is rot and swell resistant. The core 420 can be inserted or formed in-situ. The core 420 can be made of a variety of materials depending on the application. For example, inserted cores can include continuous or discontinuous compressed mineral board, compressed inorganic fillers with binders, compressed organic fillers with binders, compressed organic and inorganic blends with binders or in-situ formed binder; molded or shaped thermoplastics such as expanded polystyrene, foamed polyvinyl chloride, or foamed or expanded polyolefins; molded or shaped thermosets such as flexible or rigid, solid or foamed polyarethanes, polyarea-urethanes, polyureas, polyisocyanurates, and phenolics; blow molded shells; or honeycomb inserts comprised of organic fibers, organic pulps, thermoplastics, and thermosets; preforms derived from either air-laid or vacuum-laid mats of cellulosic fiber, glass fiber, thermoplastic fiber, or thermoset fiber or woven mats or veil of the same materials where a binder or resin has been applied or injected to shape a core; and blends or mixtures of these various types of insertable cores. In-situ formed cores include cores developed from reaction injection molding with or without reinforcement of thermosets such as polyurethanes, polyureaurethanes, polyisocyanurates, and phenolics; gas injection of a thermoplastic, ceramic, or thermoset; activation of in-situ blowing agents or foaming of material introduced into the shell; mechanical tension applied to melted or softened thermoplastic or thermoset materials; or blends and combinations of these in-situ cores.

In the example illustrated by FIG. 7, the door 200 includes a bottom member 240 that is attached to the bottom rail 416. The illustrated bottom member 240 includes a sweep 242 that is configured to seal against a door sill (See FIG. 15). The illustrated lock stile 412 is machined to form a circular cutout 700 for the door knob and a lock bolt passage 702. In the examples illustrated by FIGS. 8 and 9, the lock stile 412 includes a lock bolt passage 702 and a lock block 800 is also included. In the exemplary embodiment, the lock block 800 is attached to the lock stile 412 and forms part of the frame 400. In the exemplary embodiment, the entire lock block 800 is rot and swell resistant completely through the lock block. For example, the lock block 800 may be made from a wood based component that is resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the lock block as described above. FIGS. 10-12 illustrate a section of the doors 200 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 taken through the lock block 800. FIGS. 8, 9 and 12 illustrate that a circular door knob opening 802 extends completely through the lock block 800 and a lock bolt passage 804 extends from the door knob opening 802 to the lock stile 412. Since the lock block 800 and the lock stile 412 are rot and swell resistant completely through their thicknesses, the lock block 800 and the lock stile 412 remain rot and swell resistant after they are machined for a door knob set or if additional machining is performed. In the example illustrated by FIG. 9, the first and second skins 402, 404 each include a window opening 900 and a transparent unit 902 is positioned in the window opening 900 between the skins. The transparent unit 902 may be a multi-pane insulating glass unit or a single pane of glass.

FIGS. 13-20 illustrate examples of door systems 202 are made using rot resistant components. In this application, the term “door system” is to be interpreted broadly, and can comprise a door alone, a door and the components that immediately surround the door, such as the jambs, header, and threshold, the door and hinges, the door and any other components that are designed to work with the door, and a door and any combination or subcombination of these components. In an alternate embodiment, the concepts of the described door systems are applied to other building opening systems, such as window systems. Any combination or subcombination of the features of the disclosed doors and door systems can be applied to other building openings, such as windows and window systems.

Any number of the components can be made such that an entire length of the component is rot and swell resistant entirely through the component. In one embodiment, all of the components of the door system are constructed such that the entire length of each component is rot and swell resistant entirely through the component. The door system may be an inward or outward opening door system. The illustrated door systems 202 include a door 200 and a door opening frame 204. The doors 200 may be constructed as described above. The illustrated door opening frames 204 include a vertically extending hinge side jamb member 1302, a vertically extending lock side jamb member 1304, a horizontally extending top jamb member 1306, and a sill 1308. In an exemplary embodiment, the vertically extending hinge side jamb member 1302, a vertically extending lock side jamb member 1304, a horizontally extending top jamb member 1306 are wood based components that are resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the frame components. For example, the vertically extending hinge side jamb member 1302, a vertically extending lock side jamb member 1304, a horizontally extending top jamb member 1306 may treated entirely through with an insect and moisture protectant as described above or they may be formed from a wood flour and plastic composite as described above. However, any type or combination of types of materials that are rot resistant through the entire component can be used to form the vertically extending hinge side jamb member 1302, a vertically extending lock side jamb member 1304, a horizontally extending top jamb member 1306.

The sill 1308 may take a wide variety of different forms. The sill 1308 illustrated by FIG. 15 includes a base member 1320 and a cover 1322. In the exemplary embodiment, the base member is constructed such that the entire length of the base member 1320 is rot and swell resistant entirely through the base member. For example, the base member 1320 may be made from a wood based component that is resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the base member 1320 as described above. The cover can take a wide variety of different forms. For example, the cover 1322 can be metal casting, a molded plastic member, a molded plastic and wood composite member, or can be formed by extruding a metal, a plastic, or a plastic and wood composite mixture.

The illustrated door system 202 includes exterior trim components or moldings 1350. In an exemplary embodiment, the trim components 1350 are made from a material that is resistant to rot and swell completely through the trim components in any of the manners described above.

Referring to FIGS. 13-20, door system 202 includes additional traditional components that typically do not rot. For example, the door 200 is connected to the vertically extending hinge side jamb member 1302 by hinges 1310. Referring to FIG. 16, the hinges 1310 are connected to the hinge side stile 410 by screws 206. The screws do not expose a portion of the stile that is susceptible to rot or swelling, since no portion of the stile is susceptible to rot or swelling. Referring to FIG. 14, a weather strip 1312 is connected to the jamb members 1304, 1306, 1308 and is configured to seal against the door 200 when the door is closed. Referring to FIG. 15, the door sweep 242 seals against the door sill 1308 when the door is closed.

FIGS. 17-20 illustrate an example of a door system 202 that also includes a side lite 1700. The illustrated side lite 1700 includes a frame 1701 and first and second side lite skins 1702, 1704 attached to the frame. The skins 1702, 1704 may take a wide variety of different forms, including but not limited to fiberglass reinforced plastic molded panels. In an exemplary embodiment, the entire lengths of all of the components of the frame 1701 are wood based components that are resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the frame components. The frame 1701 may take a wide variety of different forms. In the example illustrated by FIGS. 17-20, the frame 1701 includes a first side member 1710, a second side member 1712, a top member 1714, and a bottom member 1716. Any type or combination of types of materials that are rot resistant through the entire component can be used to form the frame members 1710, 1712, 1714, 1716. For example, none, one or more of the frame members 1710, 1712, 1714, 1716 can be treated entirely through with an insect and moisture protectant, with the remaining frame members (if any) formed from a wood flour and plastic composite. In one embodiment, a core 1720 is disposed within the frame 1701 between the skins 1702, 1704. When included, the core may be made from a material that is rot and swell resistant. The core 1720 may be made in accordance with one or more of the options for forming the door core 420 that are described above. Referring to FIG. 18, the side lite 1700 is supported by an elongated vertically extending side lite support member 1800. In an exemplary embodiment, the side lite support member 1800 is constructed such that the entire length of the support member 1800 is rot and swell resistant entirely through the support member 1800. For example, the support member 1800 may be made from a wood based component that is resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the support member 1800 as described above. In one embodiment, side lites 1700 are included on both sides of the door 200.

While various aspects of the invention are described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects may be realized in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects and features of the invention, such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, devices, and so on may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the aspects, concepts or features of the invention into additional embodiments within the scope of the present invention even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the invention may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present invention however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that may alternatives, modifications, and variations may be made. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A door comprising: a frame with first and second wood stiles made from a wood substrate, wherein an entire length of each wood stile is treated completely through with an insect and moisture protectant; a first door skin attached to a first side of the frame; and a second door skin attached to a second side of the frame.
 2. The door of claim 1 wherein the protectant is formulated to protect against moisture, micro-organisms, mold, and insects.
 3. The door of claim 1 wherein the insect and moisture protectant comprises an organic biocide and a hydrophobic agent.
 4. The door of claim 1 wherein the insect and moisture protectant comprises an organic biocide and a hydrophobic agent that is applied completely through the wood stiles at a cellular level.
 5. The door of claim 1 wherein the insect and moisture protectant is applied completely through the wood stiles at a cellular level.
 6. The door of claim 1 wherein the frame further comprises top and bottom rails that comprise a wood and plastic composite that comprises wood flour and a thermoplastic.
 7. The door of claim 1 wherein the frame further comprises a top and bottom rails, wherein entire lengths of the top and bottom rails are treated completely through with an organic biocide and a hydrophobic agent at a cellular level.
 8. The door of claim 1 wherein the door skins are attached to the frame with a waterproof glue.
 9. The door of claim 8 wherein the glue is a polyurethane (PUR) adhesive.
 10. The door of claim 1 further comprising a polyurethane core disposed in the frame between the door skins.
 11. The door of claim 1 further comprising a wood lock block connected to the frame disposed between the first and second door skins, wherein an entire length of the wood lock block is treated completely through with an insect and moisture protectant.
 12. The door of claim 11 wherein the insect and moisture protectant of the wood lock block comprises an organic biocide and a hydrophobic agent.
 13. The door of claim 12 wherein the insect and moisture protectant of the wood lock block comprises an organic biocide and a hydrophobic agent that is applied completely through the wood stiles at a cellular level.
 14. The door of claim 11 wherein the wood lock block is completely protected from rotting after lockset machining.
 15. The door of claim 1 wherein first wood stile is completely protected from rotting after hinge screws are driven into the first wood stile.
 16. The door of claim 1 wherein the second wood stile is completely protected from rotting after multi-point lock machining of the second wood stile.
 17. The door of claim 1 wherein all components of the door are rot proof.
 18. A door system comprising: first and second door skins attached to opposite sides of a frame made from a plurality of frame components, wherein entire lengths of all the frame components are made from wood based components that are resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the frame components; a door opening frame comprising first and second vertical side jamb members made from wood based components that are resistant to rot caused by insects and moisture completely through the vertical side jamb members.
 19. A door system comprising: a plurality of components that are configured to be mechanically altered during installation; wherein all of said plurality of components are made from a material having machinability properties that are similar to wood and are immune to moisture, micro-organisms, mold and insects; wherein the mechanical altering during installation does not create a pathway through the immune components to other components that are susceptible to damage by moisture, micro-organisms, mold or insects. 